In the End
by Skele
Summary: The Teen Titans are survivors of an apocalyptic war. They have to deal with being a hero in this great time of crisis and the loss of several of their friends. RR Still in progress.


Disclaimer: Don't own it, promise, © to rightful owners

A/N: I found Inspirational artwork done by the very talented OceanSama on Deviantart. It showed the Titans after a nuclear war. I think a picture is worth 1000 words, but it's my job to get some of those words down.

In the End

Chapter 1: Oh what a beautiful thing

Devastation. As far as the eye could see ash and smoke clouded every square inch of what little world existed. Rubble that use to be a great city still burned eating up what oxygen there was left. Through the soot the Sun couldn't shine leaving fires in the rubble the only light source. The world was dark and glowed with faint memory of life in the eerie colors Red and orange.  
"Raven to main base… they got here too… no survivors" a twenty year old female with Raven hair stained white with ash said. She wore a mask made of metal and it seemed to recycle air and every so often her warm breath would be released into the frigid air. She was wearing some sort of suit made out of dense white and blue covered material, Raven couldn't focus to use her powers in it if she tired, it made her look as if she were wearing body armor. She didn't wear anything on her head but the mask. Not that she needed anything else the mask had a force field that protected her head from the cold. She was carrying a gun that doubled as a bag for carrying small med kits and other useful items. There was a buzz as the radio began to hum.  
"Roger" A male's voice returned. It was harsh and low,  
"Rendezvous with Starfire and we'll send Speedy to pick you two up at the main road," the voice repeated,  
"Affirmative" Raven said into the mask. She began to walk and said less formal,  
"Robin, did you get any news from Superman about Gotham?" there was nothing but radio static for a while.  
"They found the place where Bruce hid to escape the explosion…" Robin responded,  
"He didn't survive… he wasn't prepared…" Robin said,  
"Their bringing his body to be buried with some of the other JL members" the static followed again.  
"Robin I'm sorry" Raven said,  
"It doesn't matter now…" Robin said firmly, Raven looked up and saw another 20-year-old female in a black and purple suit not far trudging through ash. She looked at Raven through hard eyes. Her eyes were green and they glared angrily at Raven. Her hair was short and red. It had been cut so that it wouldn't be in her way. She also carted a gun with her that looked like it could weigh a ton, but it was just built to hold more like food and stuff. As Raven approached she looked away. Raven couldn't blame her; she had a right to be mad. In her years living on earth she was happy and carefree, but that was because she didn't know what kind of damage humans could actually do to their planet. It was the old team's faults for not tell her. She became angry, hard and uncaring for this world. She stayed only for her husband's, Robin, sake. Raven opened up the frequency again,  
"Robin any news from Argent, has she found Beast Boy?" Raven asked hopefully,  
"Raven, I've had Argent and Billy Numerous searching every corner of Steel City, they didn't find anything." Robin answered harshly,  
"But what about that trail of dog tracks?" Raven asked,  
"An unexpected snow storm covered them up, and they lost the trail." Robin said. Raven was lost,  
"Well…" Robin cut her off,  
"Raven we're going to have to assume the worst"  
"No" Raven yelled making Starfire turn to her again,  
"Raven Beast Boy's dead and you've got to except that!" Robin yelled,  
"These are hard times, many people died and we only have enough food and clean water to last us and the other survivors another year if we're lucky." Robin sighed and said,  
"I'm sorry Raven but it's time we all faced the reality that things may never be the same ever again" Raven's eyes watered and tears began to trickle down her face onto her mask.  
"Speedy's on the way, Robin out" The Radio hum died and Raven's tears fell off he masked chin out of the force field and freezing with in seconds before hitting the ground.  
"Raven?" Starfire said in a concerned tone but still very self reserved,  
"Robin said Beast Boy is probably dead," Raven said quietly but loud enough to be heard,  
"We all will miss friend Beast Boy, like we miss friend Hotspot, and Wildebeest, and Mas and Menos." Raven closed her eyes and sighed. Steam released from her mask and disappeared into the dark sky. Starfire was right, Beast Boy was close to them but there were a lot of people killed, as well as many Titans.  
'Beast Boy was special to me can't the others see that?' Raven thought. In reality however the others were painfully aware that Raven liked Beast Boy as more than a friend. But that was the reason they were careful about him around her. Raven and Starfire trudged through the ash to a paved area covered in ash and tire tracks.  
"Robin said we would meet Speedy here" Raven explained again. She took one look over the barren landscape as snow and ash began to fall. Through the rubble and smoke Raven saw something peaking through the ash.  
"Starfire look at this" Raven said walking across the road and crouching down sweeping away ash and small debris. Starfire walked over and peered down over Raven's shoulder. Raven took part of her gun off the main body. She flicked it open to reveal it was actually a cup and using her hands she very carefully dug around the small organism and placed it inside the cup along with some dirt.  
"Starfire… it's a flower…" Raven said holding the small pink flower at eye level.  
"It survived… like us" Raven's eyes began to water again. She stared at the flower with a look of wonder. A sudden brightness in the corner of her eyes forced her head to turn to see the truck headed for them along the road. Speedy sat in the drivers seat. His suit was yellow and crimson and looked like he was going to war, he had abandoned the mask and let his hair grow so that it was about shoulder length now. Raven held the flower tight as the large tank like truck stopped in front of them. A hatch opened and Raven and Starfire climbed aboard. When the door closed the lights inside the cabin came on. In one corner Jericho was helping a wounded man. Other people crowded the small space. Children were crying, and some people were coughing harshly. Raven walked past Jericho as the hatch shut. She patted him on the shoulder; he gave a grin to the girls before going back to his work. Starfire pulled up the passenger seat next to Speedy and sat staring out the dirty glass to the passing road. Raven stood between them and looked at the flower.  
"What's that?" Speedy asked when he chanced a glance at the flower. Raven held the plant higher as the lights went out and the headlights came on.  
"It's a flower…" Raven explained,  
"Oh yeah? Wow imagine finding that" Speedy said without much interest. Raven sighed.

The rest of the trip was filled with near silence; the sobs of children and the cries of sick people in the back added a foreboding melody to the world in its current state. Raven looked up from her deep thought to see the base on the horizon. It was built as a bomb shelter underground. The nuclear explosion caused the surface of the earth to crack making active and inactive volcanoes around the world blow. The ash and dirt wore away the earth until the underground base became a beacon of hope on the edge of a nuclear crater. The great Jump City was no more; the surrounding states were destroyed by the after blast. The world was in shambles as nuclear world war raged on. Robin discovered it was actually Slade's fault. He manipulated the computer program that control's the USA's missile firing operation and assaulted Japan in retaliation the country quickly attacked back followed quickly by other countries. The result was total nuclear destruction, a blood bath if there was blood left.  
"Robin tell you…. About Beast Boy?" Speedy asked, glancing over at her again. Raven nodded. Speedy chuckled,  
"Fearless leader probably fuckin smacked you with it" he said. Speedy pulled the large tank up to the side of the building.  
"Starfire go help Jericho with taking care of the passengers" Speedy ordered, Starfire sneered and did as she as ordered.  
"Raven take second control" Speedy said as Raven took Starfire's chair pulling earphones off the hook beside her,  
"We only got one shot at this and I don't want to mess this up like Jinx did" Speedy picked up the phone and called the base. Raven took the moment to think about Jinx and what happened that day, but if she knew that then Beast Boy would still be with them. Jinx was driving a transport with Beast Boy. Robin sent them to search Steel City for survivors, but on the way back something happened. Beast Boy was on the radio, he was explaining the scene and how there wasn't much left of Steel Canyon and that they had rounded up the survivors and were bringing them back, when Jinx cussed followed by Beast Boy and the odious scream of panic stricken passengers and then the line went dead.  
"Roger that Robin we'll be ready for you" Speedy said snapping Raven back to reality. Speedy put the radio down and took hold of the wheel and exhaled heavily.  
"You know the routine right Raven we've got to open and close this door quick so we don't flash freeze Cyborg got it? So door opens we run in and the door closes." Speedy explained. Raven nodded, and they sat in waiting. The radio buzzed to life with Cyborg on the tube,  
"I'm opening the door in 5…" Raven swallowed,  
"4…" Speedy gripped the wheel,  
"3…" Starfire held on to an orphan girl a little tighter,  
"2…" Jericho gave a coughing man some water,  
"1…" Speedy gritted his teeth,  
"Now!" Cyborg yelled as the door popped open and light poured out. Speedy slammed on the gas and the tank zoomed in through the door as it closed quickly and hard behind them. Speedy sighed as the tank slowed down and stopped. Cyborg's voice came back over the radio,  
"Welcome home guys."

Chapter 2: Preview  
"That's impossible..." Cyborg said. Everyone turned and looked as he stood over the worker and his monitor. He held the head phones plasted against his ears concentrating.  
"What?" Robin asked. Cyborg held out the headphones for Robin to hear. Robin pushed off his desk and wheeled over toward Cyborg snatching the headphones out of his hands an putting them on. His face went and looked emotionless and blank.  
"What is it?" Raven asked. Robin looked at her with a serious look on his face.  
"The radio lost in Jinx's crash... Is talking to me..."  
"What!" Raven yelled,  
"In Jinx's voice..."


End file.
